“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends,they are likely in the course of time and things,to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled menwill be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselvesthe reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engineswhich have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

-George Washington

I know that it’s been a while since I have posted anything, and I know that I have yet to really touch too much on politics, but I find it my duty, during this election season, to write about it. As Eärendil’s Star, I have taken it upon myself to be that light in the darkness. The world is so dark, and it needs a light to stand firm and not be blown out. In my life, I have not seen an election as dark as this one, and so I determined that I could not sit by and let my thoughts not be heard on this topic.

I hope the title stood out to you, because it was meant to do so. However, while some people might think it hyperbole, I did not intend it as such. I said what I meant, and I meant what I said. In past elections, the two-party system has been apparent. You would always find most people fitting into their Republican or Democrat categories, voting for the candidates because they are Republican or Democrat. Why does that make sense?Oh, I have a lot of the same beliefs of the Republican party. Or, the Democrats overall sympathize with the same issues that I do. While that is true to an extent, I’m sure, I cannot say that I have ever really encountered someone who completely fits into the Platonic Republican or Democrat categories.

However, in past elections, the candidates were usually the average Republicans and Democrats (neglecting the third-party candidates). And so, previously, people were able to simply fall into the idea that they basically know that they are more likely to align with the candidate from their claimed party than the opposing party. Anyone with a pulse would realize that this election is different than any other election in U.S. history. One candidate is a crude misogynist, who remains incoherent at all times. The other has been under investigation by the F.B.I. and has been a recorded liar in numerous instances. These candidates make everyone fear for the future of this country and this world. It makes people look back to 2012 longingly, wishing that the end of the world had come then, rather than potentially on November 8, 2016.

However, we can be happy that these two are not the only candidates. Many citizens have come to point out, “Hey. These aren’t the only candidates. Maybe we can look at these third-party candidates. Just about anyone would be better than these two.” No. The third-party candidates are not the best candidates either. However, I shudder to think of the country in the hands of either of those two in the above picture. We can thank God that we have other options beyond these two.

“HOLD UP!” people have been saying. “You can’t vote third-party, because that’s a vote for [insert Republican or Democratic candidate’s name here].” In this election, we have been getting legitimate propaganda like what you see below. Propaganda is defined as “information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.” In images and information like these, we find propaganda, trying to convince you to vote for x candidate, in order to prevent y candidate, just as long as you don’t vote for n, m, or o candidates. I don’t know who made these, or if the quote from our President is real, but I will say one thing – these sorts of ideas are spread all over by all kinds of people. And you know what? Something just seems off. How can my vote for Jill Stein, or Gary Johnson, or whomever, be a vote for both Trump and Clinton at the same time? It doesn’t work like that. These tactics try to scare you into voting for a particular candidate. How many times have we heard, “Well so-and-so is the lesser of two evils“? This propaganda is saying that, while you might want to vote third-party, what you really want is to keep that candidate out of office, and so you should vote for this candidate.

I am here to tell you that maybe the decision shouldn’t be that simple (or difficult). Maybe one of the candidates IS the lesser of two evils when only looking at the two of them. However, by listening to this propaganda, we are perpetuating numerous lies:1)The lie that there are only two candidates between whom to choose. We can look at the third-party candidates. We need to realize that they are viable options. We do not need to only see who the ‘lesser of two evils’ is between Republican and Democrat.2) The lie that choosing the lesser of two evils is not choosing an evil. We neglect to think about the fact that, by saying that we are voting for the ‘lesser of two evils,’ we are voting for an evil. In this picture, whom would you choose? Who is the lesser of two evils?3) The lie that the majority vote matters more than our consciences when we go to vote. We are given consciences. It is our responsibility to educate our consciences, in order that we might make informed decisions on right and wrong. By perpetuating this faulty two-party system, we are allowing this majority vote to take higher priority than our own consciences. Shouldn’t we be voting in line with our consciences, rather than in line with what other people simply tell us we should do?

I will admit that this is one of my more ranting posts. However, it continues to annoy me how much society has fallen into the lie of the two-party system. The above quote by George Washington expresses a foundational understanding of the two-party system to American politics. Our country was never intended to be a two-party system as it is today. As you approach this election, I want you to truly think about your decision. Think about why you’re voting for the candidate for whom you are voting. Is it out of fear? Are you being convinced by this propaganda? Are you voting for ‘the lesser of two evils’? Or are you choosing this candidate because your conscience compels you to do so?

Just keep these above thoughts in mind. I say to ‘duc in altum,’ to put out into the deep, at the end of each blog post. In the time of this election, I do not think there is more apt advice for me to give. I call each of you to put out into the deep. Make the unpopular decision. Swim upstream. Go out into the depths of the ocean, in the midst of the storm, standing strong in your beliefs, and holding true to your consciences. I hope that I will get to see you on the other side of this year’s election.